Woes Of The Queen
by Fourth Season
Summary: Death. Anger. Regret. Evil. Loneliness. Pain. Romance. Heartbreak. Woe. In a world where heinous villains could be hiding behind every pillar, and a dark power plots to take over the land, one vaporeon must face it all. Or die trying... (Bad summary, I know. I just can't seem to think of a good one.)
1. Chapter 1

It was the middle of the day. The sun was at its highest peak, shining down upon a gleeful meadow that was full of beautiful, blooming flowers of all colors, shapes, and sizes. A semi-large river ran through it, cutting the tract in half.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look at me daddy!" A young vaporeon called out from her place at the middle of the light blue river. Her deep lavender eyes sparkled with joy, and her face was alight with a joyful smile. She swam around in the calm, glimmering river, looking around for her father as she did so.

The little vaporeon continued to search. Eventually, she located her father, who was sitting under the single tree that sat a good distance away from her. He smiled, and flicked his blue tailfin up and down.

"Remember," He said, "Use your tail as a rudder. It helps you to control where you go."

He chuckled as his daughter tried to do as she was told, and ended up swimming in circles. He supervised her swimming for a while, offering a little tip here and there, until he eventually grew tired and laid down to rest. He closed his eyes, resting for a while, content in the shade of the tree with the sounds of his daughter splashing in the river. He stayed that way for a long time until he heard more frequent splashes. They sounded... uncoordinated, random, panicky...

"DADDY! DADDY, HELP!" The frightened, high pitched voice of his daughter cried.

The father shot upwards to attention. "Azure!" He shouted. He scanned the river, still calm and serene, but no longer comforting. It seemed to speak of treachery, as if it would strike at any moment.

After what seemed like a lifetime, her head exploded from under the water, sending droplets flying everywhere. He could hear her gasp even from the distance he was from her, and she was very far downriver.

"Daddy help m..." She gurgled before being plunged back underwater.

The current downriver was no where near as calm as it was upriver. The water was so turbulent that it sent up froths of bubbles that gathered on several rocks that jutted out from the river. His daughters small, frail body was jostled through the water, slamming into the rocks and causing her to release what little breath she could hold. She whimpered, praying that her father would be able to save her and fearing that this would be the end of her short life.

As soon as he saw his daughter's head above the water, her father sprung into action. A blue blur, he raced along the edge of the river, sprinting forward with as much speed as he could muster. By the time he was able to reach where she was, the river was already getting close to the edge of a gigantic waterfall. He was tired from his burst of speed, and if he tried to swim to and save her, he knew they would both be sent tumbling over the edge. He didn't know what to do. He paced along the side, trying to decide what was the best course of action.

"Need a little help?" A snide voice behind him asked.

The father turned around and grimaced, hating to be caught in a moment of weakness. "Cimmerian," He growled at the shiny umbreon, "I see that you have come back from your _exile._"

"And I see that _you _have gotten yourself into quite a predicament." The dark type replied coolly, flicking his ears towards the struggling young vaporeon.

The father vaporeon sighed and said, "Lets put our petty grievances aside for now. My daughter is in trouble. Please," He flinched, hating to ask favors from this lowlife traitor, "Will you help me save her?" He turned his dark black eyes unto the umbreon's cold, hard, unfeeling red one's.

Cimmerian smiled. "Only if you promise me a favor, Cobalt."

Cobalt contemplated his situation. He knew full well how dangerous this 'favor' could be, but his daughter's life was on the line. He had no choice.

"Fine, have it your way." He snapped.

Cimmerian smirked, and jumped into the roaring river. He swam strongly towards the struggling child. Grabbing her by her head-fin, he slowly dragged her back towards the shore. Every once in a while, the umbreon would lose his bearings and be pulled under, but he always came back up. When they finally reached the shore, the shiny's black pelt was plastered to his muscular frame, but he did not show any sign of weakness or exhaustion. Nor did he shutter from the cold.

Spluttering and shivering, the little vaporeon broke free of Cimmerian's grasp, struggled towards her father, and slumped into him. She sighed with relief and passed out against his side.

Cobalt sighed with relief as well, and licked his daughter's tiny body. He picked her up by her head fin and carried her towards their castle. Once she was handed off to the maids, who shot Cimmerian shocked, scared, and angry glances, the two retired to Cobalt's meeting chamber.

"So," Cimmerian smirked, "About that favor,"

* * *

That was three years ago.

The funeral was a dismal affair. The Viceroy, the king's right-hand pokemon, read Cobalt's will out loud to all of the vaporeon gathered in the castle square. There were pokemon from all sorts of backrounds present. From the scruffy ally cats to the richest nobels. A few vaporeon even had baby eevee's with them, children not yet old enough to get their water stone.

There were rows of pews lined up in font of the casket for the royalty and hand-invited. The casket itself was on top of a small gray platform with built-in steps. The walls of the castle square were made of stone—old, old stone that had stood for generation after generation. The sun was shrouded in grey clouds that seemed to swallow the sky. Gloom descended upon the people, for Cobalt was a much beloved king.

Even though it was important, Azure was too saddened to pay much attention to the reading. She stared at her father's protective glass casket, his cold, lifeless blue form visible beneath. It would only be a matter of minutes until they opened it and let Cobalt's body liquefy into water. They would then tip the casket into the river, joining the vaporeon with its beloved waterway in death.

As the Viceroy read the final words he stopped, and gasped. Azure looked up from her reminiscing, wondering what was wrong. Whispers ran through the crowd. The Viceroy trembled, and continued in a shaky voice.

"In accordance to saving my daughter's life, I have promised Cimmerian, Tyrant King of the Umbreon Outcasts, my daughter's hand in marriage to his son's. This arrangement will solve the problem of the attacking Outcasts, and unite our kingdom's. I know will's are no place for letters to those after death, but I must explain myself. I write this in woe of what will become of my kingdom, but Cimmerian would not give me any other choice. If I had not agreed, my daughter would not be alive today. I must say to you all that it is with great sorrow that I announce the arranged marriage of Queen Azure and Prince Stygian. May the maker be with you all."

Horrified gasps went through the crowd. Many vaporeon shouted in outrage, while others gaped in disbelief. The eevees started to cry, while their mothers desperately tried to soothe them. In the midst of it all, Azure was stunned. There was no way that she could live her own life. No way that she could choose her own love. No way that she could live happily. Once the outburst calmed down, all eyes were on Azure, waiting to hear her dictation.

She couldn't take it. Azure never wanted to be the center of attention at the best of times, to have all eyes on her now was a nightmare. She whimpered, and fled. She ran and ran until she reached her room at the top of a castle spire. She then plopped down unto the bed, and cried.


	2. Chapter 2

Azure stayed inside of her room for days. She didn't want to speak with anyone, and didn't want anyone's sympathy. She refused to eat in the dining room, and she didn't let anyone into her bedroom. She was having one of her stubborn streaks, as her father used to say.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Azure, are you still in there?" A male voice asked.

"Go away, Indigo!" Azure shouted from her place in the closet she was currently cleaning, for the sixth time.

"Azure," Indigo pleaded, "Please let me in. How can visit if I can't talk to you?"

"You can talk to me, you talking to me right now." She snapped.

"You know what I mean, Azure. Face to face."

"Aaaggghhh," She groaned, "Indigo, why do you have to be so annoying! Fine, I'll let you in, but just this once."

After she walked over to the door and flipped open the lock, glaring up at the green eyes of the tall vaporeon before her, she stepped aside and allowed him entry.

Indigo, chuckling at her outburst, walked into the room that he had practically grown up in. Azure's bedroom wasn't exactly spacious, but then again, she hadn't ever been pampered. It was round and had cobblestone walls, the stain glass window with a sun emblazoned upon it was in the left curve of the room, the long, rounded purple dresser was snuggled up to the wall on the left of the door, the closet full of old playthings was by the bed, and the bed was a foot away from the dresser and next to the closet. Everything was in its usual place, except it was spotless. Azure's room was barely ever spotless.

"So," He whistled, "I see that you've been doing some cleaning."

She just continued to glare at him. "Indigo," She snapped, "You know how much I hate it when you comment on my room."

He smiled. "Exactly."

"With best friends like you, who needs enemies?" She retorted.

He just stared stupidly back at her, a goofy grin on his face.

She sighed in defeat, knowing he could keep that up for days, and walked over to the window, looking out over the city below.

"What if I'm not ready?" She whispered

"Huh?" Indigo said, joining her.

"What if I'm not ready?" She repeated, louder this time.

He turned to her, ready to say something funny, but paused when he saw the serious look in her eyes, the grin slipped off his face.

"You'll be fine." He spoke, hugging her instead.

"But what if I'm not?" She replied, pushing away to look him in the eyes." My mother died when I was just an eevee, so I've never been trained by a queen, my father died last week, so I can't ask for his help, and I'm going to be married. _Married_! That means I'll never get to be myself and never get to have fun." She started to pace, her eyes gleaming with held-back tears that only Indigo would notice, "And it's not like I'm getting married to an _honorable_ prince. NOOO! I've got to get married to the _freaking prince of darkness!" _She was shouting now, the tears forgotten, "I'd rather get married to a stinking murkrow!" She fumed in the middle of the room, seeming to steam.

"Ya know what," Indigo said, walking over and putting his paw over her back, "Lets go and visit the townspeople. You probably haven't roughhoused with the street kids in _forever_."

She nodded, seeming to lose some of her agitation, and let him lead her out of the room and down the stairs.

* * *

King Cimmerian sat upon his throne in his dark castle, his blue rings contrasting greatly with his murky surroundings. There was a long, red carpet that descended the obsidian steps of his throne and ran straight forwards through a long chamber with black pillars lining the walls. The throne itself was black with a red cushion, and it was straight-backed with curled horns that sprang from the top. Behind the pillars there was nothing but darkness, and the occasional glint of red eyes. The room was lit by a dim, sinister red light that pulsed from small torches hung beside the throne and the double-door.

An adolescent umbreon entered the room. He held his head high, his black chest puffed out, superiority clearly written on his expression as he passed several of Cimmerian's servants. All of that melted away as he approached the king. He didn't bow, but he nodded his respect and didn't make direct eye contact before taking his place on the steps before the throne.

"Good,good," Cimmerian barked, the nicest tone you could truthfully get out of him, "I see that you have taken well to your classes on decorum, son."

"Yes, father. I have." Stygian looked up at Cimmerian, still not making eye contact.

Cimmerian roughly patted his son's back, and laughed evilly.

"Soon, son," Cimmerian rumbled in his deep voice, "Soon we will have the kingdom in our paws. You will be married to that little _queen,_" He rolled his eyes, "Azure. She will make a lovely bride, but don't get soft on her. No doubt she is just _dying _inside and will do _anything_ to save herself. That girl never was a good leader." He ended snidely.

Stygian couldn't help himself. He was just too curious as to who this Azure was. "Father," He asked, "Who is queen Azure exactly? What does she look like? How does she act?"

Cimmerian snickered. "She is a vaporeon who is beautiful by their standards, but merely pretty by ours. She is a fool who lacks the brainpower to keep herself in check. That is all you need to know."

"She doesn't sound pleasant." Stygian growled, gripping his claws on the steps.

"She isn't." Cimmerian snapped.

"By the way," Stygian inquired, "When will she be arriving?"

Cimmerian gave Stygian a half smile. His yellow eyes glinting with a new plan. "Well," he sneered, "Why don't we invite her over. She needs to see our hospitality, and she's got to have a look at her new home. Doesn't she?"

Stygian nodded and smirked at the thought, knowing that Cimmerian would be anything but hospitable.

"Messenger!" Cimmerian roared. A scrawny, anxious umbreon came forward. He was shaking, but he still bowed before the two.

"You needed me, master?" He asked.

"Yes," Cimmerian growled, annoyed, "I want you to go to the vaporeon kingdom and fetch queen Azure. Tell her that King Cimmerian requests that she spend the rest of her time prior to the wedding at my castle. By no means is she to deny. MAKE her come if you have to."

"Y-y-yes your highness." The messenger stammered, still bowing.

"Well then, GET MOVING!" Cimmerian bellowed.

The messenger stumbled to his feet and ran.

Cimmerian turned to his son, and they both burst out in maniacal laughter.

* * *

**Authors note: I looked at the traffic graphs and saw that more people look at my stories than review on them. I just wanna tell you all that reviews are great. In fact, I check my account everyday for new reviews, and it's like Pinkie-pie and the mailbox for me. No matter how often I check, they just don't seem to show up. Please review what you think. Reading what you viewers have to say makes my day. Oops, rhyme. LOLZ. Well, if your reading this, please review more often.**


	3. Chapter 3

The two vaporeon left the castle side by side, heading for the slums of the city. Residents gave Azure sympathetic looks as she passed by, but no one stared. It was common knowledge that Azure often went to the run-down area of the city to play with the children there.

The city itself was actually quite drab. The houses were tightly packed together, creating many narrow alleyways. Everything but the roofs and doors were made of stone to prevent damage from fires, the cobblestone walls around the city were tall and thick to prevent intruders from entering and escaping, and there were very few open, circle-shaped area's to putz-around in. The city's second largest open space was the city marketplace, with the largest open space being the castle square, and running through the castle square was the sacred River Of Souls. The River Of Souls started high in the mountains, flowed down through the plains, entered the city through a barred waterway, ran through the edge of the castle square, and exited through another barred waterway. It was the place where the vaporeon laid their dead after they'd liquified prior to death.

Indigo and Azure were passing through a particularly tight section of the city, heading towards the place where the houses were made out of cheap wood rather than stone. They were surrounded on both sides by tall, stone houses, with just enough room for them to walk next to one another. The sunlight filtered down through the narrow opening above them, lighting the way.

The two chatted while they walked, talking about how life has been and how the city was doing after the recent war with The Trainers. The Trainers were horrible creatures that walked tall on two legs, caught Pokémon in little red-and-white balls, and forced their caught Pokémon to fight each other. They were much hated throughout the land, and Indigo and Azure plotted what they'd do if they ever encountered a Trainer.

"Oooh, if I met one, I would blast its face with my hydro-pump!" Azure exclaimed.

"Then I," Indigo bragged, his face smug, "Would finish it off with _my_ hyperbeam."

Azure's face grew red with frustration. She almost snapped at him, but she managed to speak in a measured tone, "You _know_ how hard I've been trying to learn that move. Don't taunt me by bragging about it."

Indigo widened his eyes, his jaw dropping, a look of surprise filling his face.

"What," Azure cooed, flicking his chin back up with her tail, "Never thought that I wouldn't yell at you?"

He shook his head side-to-side, a smile forming on his face. "Yes," He chuckled, "And you caught me completely off guard."

She giggled, glad that the mood had changed. "So," she asked as they exited the cramped alleyways and entered an open area, "How's your family been?"

He skipped lightly. "Oh, it's great," He said, smiling happily, "Ever since we moved closer to the marketplace life's been better. It's been easier to get food, play around, find jobs-"

"Wait, find jobs?" She cut in, puzzled.

"Yeah," He continued, used to her popping in, "My mom said that I needed to get a job to help pay for the house and food. In fact, I got a job at the castle."

"Oooh, what is it?"

"I've become the personal protector of the queen."

"That's coo-_wait..._" She slowed down and lowered her voice, "_I'm_ the queen. Did you get that job just so that we could hang out all day?"

He nodded enthusiastically, not phased by her skepticism. "Yeah! I thought it would be fun, ya know. Playin around, havin fun, just doin what we wanna do, and I even have a room that's just down stairs from yours."

"_Indigo_," Azure chastised, "You're slipping into commoner tongue again. _Remember_ we can't speak un-royally until we reach the slums."

"Since when have you cared about being royal?" He poked as they exited the open space and entered the alleys again, "As I seem to recall, your highness, you hate your queen ship classes."

She shuffled shyly. "Well, I do. It's just that, well, I'm going to be married soon, and-and - what if the-_my_ people expect me to act perfectly?" She stammered, stopping in her tracks.

He stopped as well and turned around to look at her. "Hey," He softened his tone, no longer on the offense, putting his paw over hers, "You'll be fine. The people believe in you, _I_ believe in you. Trust me, I know. Everyone I know says to me that you're so strong, and that they're so jealous that I'm your best friend, and they aren't."

"Really? They said that?" She asked, her lavender eyes shining.

"Yes, they did." Indigo smiled. He had a warm smile that had comforted Azure throughout the years of her life.

She hugged him briefly, said a thank-you, and took the lead to the slums.

When they arrived, the children were already outside playing. They were grubby and covered in dirt, but they had enough spirit to lift even the saddest of hearts. Indigo and Azure jumped right in to the fray, rolling and jumping, running and hiding. They played so many games with the little children, under the watchful eyes of their parents of course. By the time that the sun was setting and it was time to go home, Indigo and Azure were as dirty and smelly as two vaporeon could be. They left the slums laughing, blissfully unaware of the surprise that awaited them back at the castle.

* * *

Indigo and Azure had just come back from the town, actually climbing the steps to the castle, which had the castle square in front of it, when the messenger arrived. The feeble little umbreon quaked anxiously at being in the Vaporeon City, but it didn't stop him from being rude.

"You two smell like rotten eggs and dirty tepigs!" He exclaimed when he stopped them from entering the castle, covering his muzzle with a paw, his tail swiping back and forth.

Azure reddened indignantly and snapped at the messenger. "This is _my kingdom_, and I will _not _have you insulting me. Is that clear?" She growled.

The umbreon nodded, fear igniting in his red eyes. His black tail fluffed up, and his yellow rings pulsed slightly, sending dimmed light unto the area around them.

'Y-y-yes ma-am." He stammered, and bowed low to the ground, bumping his head on the step in front of him.

"What's he doing?" Indigo whispered into Azure's ear-fin.

"I think he's bowing." She whispered back, and then said more loudly, with perfect posture and her head held high,"I don't know how you do things at Umbreon Castle, but we work differently here. There will be no bowing, only nods of recognition." Her tone steady.

When the messenger didn't get up, Azure got frustrated and resulted to direct orders. "Get up!" She barked, and the messenger shot up to attention. "Why are you here?" She inquired, her tone back to normal.

"I-I'm here to deliver a message from King Cimmerian The Great!" He pronounced, "He requests that you stay at Umbreon Castle for the next six months prior to the wedding."

Azure, already annoyed, took this as the last straw. There was _NO WAY _that she was staying at that stinking place. "Well," She replied, her voice tight, "Tell King Cimmerian that his request has been denied."

"But he insists your highness. He told me that by no circumstances are you not to come. He said, he said that if you don't, he-he will call off the marriage and go to war with the Vaporeon Kingdom!"

Azure sighed and looked at Indigo, whose eyes reflected the doubts of her own. How could she lead her kingdom to war, when she could barely lead her kingdom at all? If she refused, what would happen to the city and to the people who lived there? She looked up the steps at the big, stone doors of the castle, and out over the large city in front of her. This was her home, and she could never let anything happen to it.

"Okay," She said reluctantly, "I'll come. Just let me get myself ready and have my things packed."

The umbreon nodded, triumph lighting his eyes, and said, "Of course your highness, I'll take you to the King Cimmerian's castle when you are ready."


	4. Chapter 4

Azure stormed up the stairs and into her room to pack, slamming the door behind her. She fumed furiously, her face colored red and her eyes aflame.

"King Cimmerian requests that you stay at Umbreon Castle for the rest of the time prior to the wedding!" She mocked in a high-pitched, whiney voice.

She grabbed a pillow off her bed in her mouth and flung it across the room. It hit the door with a dull thump.

"Oh, and by the way," She continued, still mocking, "You can't say no, cause if you do, King Cimmerian will attack your kingdom!" She breathed heavily, her claws gripping the floor. "You might as well just take me prisoner!" She shouted, flinging another pillow at the door. But before it could hit the wood, the door swung open, and the pillow smacked right into Indigo's face.

"Ow," He said unenthusiastically, rubbing his face with a paw, "Good throw."

"Sorry," She apologized roughly, stomping over and grabbing the two pillows off of the floor, and then returning them to her bed, "That wasn't supposed to hit you."

"It's okay," He smiled an uneasy smile, joining her by the bed "So, I guess you get to meet your fiancé."

"I guess so." She said quickly, walking away to the closet.

Her movements jerky and angry, Azure proceeded to pack what she needed. These things included her daily needs items and objects that had more of a sentimental value, such as her water stone.

Indigo viewed her packing with sorrow. He did not want to see his best friend go off to some strange man's castle, let alone the kingdom of the umbreons! Azure wasn't too happy about it either, but her anger eventually dissipated to grief. The effect was that the mood was melancholy, its sadness hanging over the room like a thick mist. Then, Indigo had an idea, and started to smile joyfully, bouncing up and down. Azure stared at him, confused by his sudden burst of happiness.

"Why on sinnoh are you so happy? Glad to get rid of me are you?" She accused.

"No! I would never," He replied, still bouncing and smiling, "I just thought of a wonderful idea!"

"Well, what is it?" She asked, interested in anything that would take her mind off of the trip.

"I just got the job as your protector!"

"_And..._"

"And that means that I have to come with you! It is my job, so they _have_ to let me go! You won't have to be alone!" He beamed, fluffing up his chest fur proudly.

"Oh, Indigo, your a genius!" Azure praised, running over and hugging him.

He hugged her back, and afterwards she continued packing with a new vigor. With Indigo coming along, the trip wouldn't be so bad. At least she would have her best friend in the whole region there with her. Azure smiled, glad to have someone watching over her.

* * *

The messenger didn't agree with Indigo tagging along, but he couldn't argue with the fact that he was Azure's personal guard. The little umbreon muttered something about how the king wouldn't be pleased, and took his place as the coach of the carriage.

The carriage itself was pitch black, large, and had no windows. Azure guessed that it was made of polished obsidian, because it glittered in the sunlight. It was pulled by four irritated zebstrika, who bickered between themselves, despite rapidash being the more popular pokemon to drive. The sides of the carriage were adorned with carvings of rings and beams, with the doors on each side being outlined by curves and curlicues. The carriage was quite a site, and even though it looked sinister, it had a certain wild beauty that allured Azure.

The two friends boarded the carriage, and they sat in silence and complete darkness until they reached their destination. Indigo didn't speak until they had stopped, and the door was opened, murky light filtering in.

"Azure, are you ready for this?" He asked, his concerned face powdered with shadow.

"I have to be." She replied, and they stepped out unto the land of the umbreons.

* * *

The castle was just as big and frightening as Azure had imagined. It was pitch black, making it hard to see in the misty light, but it still towered over them like a giant Pokémon's shadow. As they traveled closer, Azure could make out spires of obsidian and towers full of soldiers. The torches that she could see were small and weak, only pulsing out a dim red light.

They approached a huge crimson door that was heavily guarded. The soldiers looked menacing, all in attack positions.

"State your business!" One of them barked, spittle flinging from his jaws.

The messenger wiped his face and answered, "I am bringing Queen Azure to King Cimmerian, as requested."

The soldier looked the party up and down, scrutinizing every detail. He growled, and lifted his tail, signaling all the other soldiers to make way for the three. The door was opened, and the soldiers parted down the middle.

The messenger, looking smug, led the two vaporeon into the castle, while the soldiers shot them nasty looks.

The inside of the castle was just as intimidating as its exterior. Carvings decorated the black walls, depicting images of battles that the Umbreon Kingdom had won, pillars shot out of the ground here and there, red eyes hid in the protective cloak of the shadows. Azure shivered, the eyes gave her the creeps, but the carvings captivated her.

Eventually, they were led into a long chamber with a throne at the end of it. Atop the throne sat King Cimmerian, his blue rings and amber eyes the only bright things in the room. Sitting on the steps below the king was another umbreon. He looked to be about Azure's age, but he was much larger. Azure felt dwarfed standing below him. The messenger approached first, bowing low to the ground before Cimmerian and the other umbreon.

"Your majesty," The messenger drawled, "I have brought Queen Azure, as you requested."

"Yes," Cimmerian boomed, his voice deep and minacious, "I see that you have," His voice turned cold, angry, "And who is this that you have brought with her?"

The messenger looked at a loss for words, he just stood there, shuttering at the presence of the tyrant king.

Azure gulped, and stepped forward, "If I may provide service, _your highness_," She spat the two words with detestation, "This is my personal guard. He is to follow me wherever I go."

Cimmerian narrowed his eyes and growled, displeasure in his expression.

"I see," He hissed, his eyes sweeping over Indigo, and then lighting up dangerously, "But you will no longer have need of him. My son, Stygian, will now be your guard," He swept his arm towards the other umbreon, who scowled, "After all, he is your fiancé."

Azure became even more frightened, her emotions battering at her and her mind screaming danger, but she managed to maintain a state of calm.

"I would prefer that my guard stay." She replied

"And _I_, the _king_, dictate that he will be relieved of his duties." Cimmerian barked.

"Father," Stygian spoke, his tone also deep, but younger sounding, "If I may intrude?" He asked Cimmerian, and the king nodded his permission, "I think that this guard should be allowed to at least stay in the castle. We wouldn't want the queen to get _homesick_ or anything." He said, his tone demeaning as he leered at Azure, "But, an extra mouth to feed will need to work to earn his place. I say that he should help the soldiers train, maybe even be their practice dummy?" He said, glaring at Indigo, his tone low and smooth, screaming of disrespect.

Cimmerian cackled, and replied. "Yes, I do agree with you. This one will start tomorrow. Messenger!" He barked, and the feeble umbreon came forward, "Take this guard to the servants quarters. Give him a room. As for you," He turned his gaze to Azure, "Stygian will escort you to your chamber. Now go," He waved his paw towards the door, "You are boring me."

Azure shot Indigo a saddened look as he was led away by the messenger. Stygian jerked her aside and led her down the halls and to a door. She nodded and entered, slamming the door in his face behind her. Not stopping to search the room, Azure ran straight to the bed and hid under it's purple covers, trying to escape from her prison and run to the freedom of sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Azure awoke to the muffled shuffling of feet outside of her door.

She kicked off the soft, warm purple covers, and looked around. She was seated on a huge bed that was in the middle of a _ginormous_ room. The bed itself had many violet pillows laid across the top, with an overhanging, black wood bar that was attached to the ceiling hanging above it. Hanging from the bar were light purple curtains that rippled around the bed and lightly brushed the floor.

She reached out a fuzzy paw and touched the curtain. It was as soft as the rabbit's-ear-moss that the tranquil delivered to the castle.

Azure parted the curtain and hopped off the bed, her feet silent on the redwood floor. She walked around the room. It had a fairly large door set across the floor in front of the bed, a black obsidian ceiling with swirly carvings, a long, brown dresser to the right of the bed, a vanity table behind the bed, and an extensive closet/dressing room to the bed's left.

Azure felt so small in this gigantic room, and she shuddered despite herself. This eerie castle made her feel creeped out, and the dim lighting didn't help.

The shuffling outside the door grew louder, and Azure padded silently to the door. Pressing her ear against the cold wood, she strained to pick up hushed voices from the hallway.

"Do you think she's awake?" A small, feminine voice whispered.

"I don't know." A tenor voice replied.

"I'm gonna go in and check." The first voice came again.

Azure was so busy trying to make out their faint voices, that she didn't process the last sentence in time. The door swung open and knocked Azure backwards, causing her to bump her head on the floor.

"Ow!" Azure yelped, rubbing her head with a blue paw.

A small, female umbreon rushed to her side.

"Oh my gosh," It exclaimed, "I am sooo sorry," She apologized, helping Azure up to her feet, "I'll go get a cryogonal!" She rushed off into the hallway, leaving Azure to stare after her.

Azure walked over to the vanity table and looked at herself in the mirror. There were three scratches on the left side of her head. She reached up to touch it, and the umbreon and cryogonal burst into the room.

"There she is! Quick," The umbreon yelled, "Use ice-beam on her head before she gets even more hurt."

The cryogonal did as it was told, and froze the side of Azure's head, but her hand became frozen in the ice.

Azure wobbled unsteadily, unable to reorient herself with her paw stuck in a huge icicle protruding from her head.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry," The umbreon yelped and ran over to Azure, "I'll fix it!"

She used bite on the middle of the icicle, and it snapped in half, freeing Azure's paw and leaving a smaller spire on Azure's head. The umbreon then used assurance to pat down the icicle and make an even, clear ice sheet over the scratch.

Azure turned her head, expecting to see a bright sheen, but the ice sheet seemed to not be there at all.

"Cool," Azure whispered, and then spoke louder, turning to the umbreon, "Thank you. What's your name?"

The umbreon blushed and replied, "Your welcome, and my name's Coral. I'm your chambermaid."

Azure nodded and said formally, "I've never had a chambermaid before. I trust that you'll do your job well."

Coral started to bow, and Azure snapped, "Oh don't bow! Just nod your respect. What is it with you umbreons and bowing?"

Coral was startled and speechless, "Uh..." She murmured, still halfway through a bow.

Azure, realizing what she had just did, apologized, "Sorry, it's just that your customs are foreign to me. From now on, just nod your greeting."

"Yes mam." Coral replied, and nodded.

"And there's no need to be so formal, just call me Azure. I doubt I'll be able to keep up speaking like a royal _all _day." Azure smiled warmly.

Coral nodded and smiled sheepishly, and proceeded to fix Azure's bed covers.

"Oh and by the way ma-I mean- Azure. King Cimmerian and Prince Stygian request your presence at this morning's private breakfast."

Azure sighed in annoyance. The last thing she wanted to do was attend a private meal with the two dictators of the Umbreon Kingdom.

"Is there any special attire that I need to wear?" Azure asked, her unexcited voice monotone.

"No, but you might need to have a good brushing beforehand."

Coral rushed over to assist her, but Azure held up a paw and said, "It's fine, Coral. I can groom myself."

The umbreon nodded and left the room.

Azure headed over to the vanity table and began to lick her paw, rubbing it over her face. She groomed herself until her fur was completely clean and shiny.

Satisfied with her appearance, Azure exited her new room and entered the hallway. Coral was there waiting for her, and she led Azure down a few hallways, stopping at a large red door. Coral shot her an encouraging smile before opening the door and departing.

Azure took a deep breath before walking into the chamber with her head held high. The room itself was wide and spacious, with a long, rectangular, wooden table in the center and tapestries on the walls. Besides the table, the room was empty, and the table itself was adorned with many plates, dishes, cups, and assortments of food.

The sight confused Azure. The fact that so much food was laid out for three pokemon was completely alien to her. She padded over to the end of table opposite of her, where the two umbreon royals were seated.

King Cimmerian was sitting at the head of the table, and Stygian was on the seat to Cimmerian's left. Azure sat down on Cimmerian right, and waited for one of the two to start a conversation. The room was silent for a few minutes, and Azure was just about to open her mouth when she was spared from doing so by Cimmerian.

"How wonderful," He sneered, "I see that you've taken the liberty to join us today Azure." He glared at her, his yellow eyes hostile and calculating.

"Yes, sir, I have." She replied curtly, looking down at her plate.

Cimmerian narrowed his eyes, and responded, "I can tell that I," He raised a paw to his chest and turned his head to the side dramatically, "Will have to start a memorable conversation." He smiled, a ghostly, frightful version of a smile, " So, Azure, what do you think of my son?"

Azure stared, speechless, and Stygian jerked his head up towards his father, a pleading look on his face that clearly said that he was uncomfortable with the question. Cimmerian growled at him, and Stygian quickly replaced his previous expression with one of nonchalant.

"Well," Cimmerian snapped, "What is your opinion of him?"

Azure thought carefully before answering. "Well, he is quite tall your majesty. And his voice is very deep and masculine. And, sir, if I may go so far," Azure continued, trying to annoy the king, " Your son has very dark fur. It looks to me like it would be coarse and wiry. Not a very pleasant attribute to have."

Cimmerian face-pawed and barked, "Oh, bother. Why do you give me these _stupid_ answers!" Azure opened her mouth to reply, and Cimmerian cut her off, "Never mind, don't answer that. Your inferior mind wouldn't be able to process the correct answer."

Azure really wanted to snap back, but held herself together. She decided that it was better that he thought her dumb, and she could use this belief to her advantage later.

They continued the rest of breakfast in uneasy silence, with only the occasional word or two. When Cimmerian decided that they were finished, he ordered that Stygian accompany Azure on a castle stroll. Azure grudgingly replied, unhappy about being with the prince of darkness all alone.


	6. Chapter 6

Azure unwillingly exited the dining room with Stygian.

For what seemed like hours, they roamed the halls in silence, only talking when was necessary. Also, Stygian was completely aloof, standing as far apart from Azure as possible.

This was fine with her, of course. She didn't want to be in close proximity with him either.

What really bothered Azure was how Stygian always kept his head high and chest puffed out. He was being so arrogant, looking down on her with his unfeeling gaze. It seemed to Azure that he purposefully stretching as tall as he could to mock her. She was small enough compared to him as is, she didn't need him towering over her even more.

Eventually, he grunted his first words of conversation. "Follow me."

Not offering an answer, she walked by his side as he led her through several more hallways and out onto a palace balcony.

The terrace looked out over a dark woods. It seemed that even during daytime, the umbreon kingdom was cloaked in murky shadows and overcast skies. The clouds were a gray blockade that prevented the joyous sunlight from reaching the castle.

Azure narrowed her eyes and turned her head upwards to look at Stygian, wondering why he would bring her here. He returned her stare with his own hard, crimson one, before he turned away and gazed down at the woods below.

"Look at the forest." He said roughly, "Tell me what you see."

Azure obeyed, staring at the shadowy woods. The trees seemed to blend together, their leaves a dingy green color and their trunks vaguely outlined in the shadows.

"I don't see anything." Azure snapped, miffed.

Stygian growled in annoyance, his claws flexing, and barked, " Close your eyes!"

Azure did as she was told, covering her eyes with a paw, but she moved a digit and peeked anyways, despite his command.

Stygian's rings started glowing, before flashing brightly. Azure yelped in shock, jumping back and closing her eyes.

When she opened them, purple hazes blotted her vision. She shook her head quickly back and forth, trying to break free of the bothersome blobs.

Stygian growled in frustration, muttering something that sounded like 'she ruined it', before snapping at Azure. "I told you to keep your eyes closed!"

When Azure's vision started to clear, though it was still mostly hazed, she could barely make out the image of the umbreon prince looming over her, his lip curled in distaste. He snarled and barked, "Can you see, or do I need to carry you?"

Azure shook her head, and Stygian made a rumbling noise deep in his throat, before snapping at her again. "No, you can't see, or no, you can, and I don't need to carry you!"

Azure couldn't take it anymore, she was fed up with that umbreon's bad attitude. "I CAN'T SEE!" She yelled at him, hissing in what she thought was his general direction.

The balcony went silent, before he replied in an even voice, "Okay." And he grabbed her head-fin.

Stygian was tall enough that he only had to lift his head to keep Azure from dragging on the floor. He grunted with the extra weight, but didn't complain, though Azure suspected he was griping in his mind.

Embarrassed and irked, Azure glared at the moving ground below her, crossing her arms and huffing. Only young vaporeon were picked up by their head-fins. It made her feel like she was being taken away for acting like a 'bad girl'. It was very degrading to her.

Eventually, he ungraciously deposited her in front of her bedchamber's door, muttering a forced goodbye before stalking off.

Azure sat and stared at the door until her vision cleared, glad _that_ was over.

"Stupid prince and his stupid attitude." She grumbled, before getting to her feet.

Azure stormed into her room, charging into a startled Coral.

"Oof!" The umbreon grunted, sprawled on her back, paws in the air. She opened her ruby eyes and stared at Azure in confusion.

"Oh, trainer," Azure said, stepping back, "I'm so sorry." She reached down and helped Coral to her feet. Offering an apologetic smile.

Coral gave Azure a shy smile, and sat down, brushing herself off with her tail. "Um," Coral began hesitantly, " May I ask-" she paused, looking at Azure for permission. Azure nodded, and Coral continued, "Why you were rushing in here so quickly?"

"Oh, yeah, about that. So I, well," Azure babbled, before slapping her face for jabbering, "Do you mind if I talk badly about your leaders?"

"Uhh..." Coral stammered, flabbergasted, "I guess so..."

"Well," Azure tentatively continued, "Okay, I'm just gonna say it! I hate those pokemon! Your king and prince are stuck up, rude, arrogant umbreon who I wish I had never met! They're not even anywhere near fit to rule a kingdom! Let alone two!" She yelled, eyes closed, breathing heavily to cool herself down.

When Azure opened her eyes, she expected Coral to be mad at her for speaking that so blatantly about the leaders of the kingdom, but the chambermaid was actually nodding.

"I agree." Coral simply said, and turned away to go clean the closet.

Azure sat in shock, surprised at Coral's agreement. She continued to stand in confusion while Coral daintily hummed and searched through the closet, dusting and categorizing as she went along.

Azure didn't speak until an idea occurred to her, an idea that would make this horrible day become not as bad. "Hey, Coral!" Azure called.

"Yes!" Came her muffled answer.

"Where would the soldiers be training at this time of day?" Azure asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Coral asked quizzically, poking her furry head out of the closet.

"Oh, no reason. I just wanted to go see a good friend of mine. He's been assigned to help the soldiers train."

Coral gasped, and ran over to Azure, shoving her out the door and leading her through many twists and turns through the castle.

"Why are we running!" Azure inquired.

Coral didn't answer, but instead broke into a full sprint, almost leaving Azure behind.

They burst out of the hallway and into the long side of an oval stadium. The floor of the coliseum was dirt, and rows of steps ascended from the circumference. The ceiling was open, allowing the murky sky to hover above them, and causing the atmosphere to be hot and sticky.

Indigo stood in the middle of the oval, surrounded by a squadron of at least twenty intimidating umbreons. They moved as one, fluidly advancing and retreating, nipping and scratching at Indigo like Mightyena would their prey. Then, they suddenly backed up. Their rings pulsed a sinister yellow light at they all charged up for a powerful move. Indigo had only a split second to use protect before twenty giga impacts rained down upon him.

Coral whimpered, but Azure yowled and sprinted down the steps, racing to her friend's side, unaware of him using protect. She shoved the umbreon soldiers aside and leapt in front of Indigo, who was laying on the ground.

She growled and spat, swiping at the nearest soldier, "You IDIOTS! Indigo could be dead!"

"But I'm not." Indigo shakily replied, sitting up. Blocking that many powerful moves at once had taken its toll on him.

Azure turned and grabbed him, hugging him close and licking his head, tears escaping her eyes. "Oh, thank Arceus," She sniffed, and then pulled away, "Don't you EVER do that again!" She snapped, "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

He smiled, wiping a tear from her face with his tail, "But I didn't."

"Oh, don't play stupid with me! You know full well that you could've been killed!" She fumed, before turning to the soldiers, "And YOU," She barked, pointing an accusing paw at them," You all should be ashamed if yourselves! That is no way to treat a fellow pokemon! Now apologize right this instance!"

A few actually muttered their apologies, but most just stood there mutely.

The largest of them, probably the leader, walked up to Azure and pinned her with a threatening stare, before speaking in a southern accent. "Ma'am, I have no idea how trainin' iz done were yall are from, but here, we always train thiz way. Only the bezt can serve in King Cimmerian'z army. And only the bezt can survive training in King Cimmerian'z army. Now, I'm fixin to teach these here boys how to fight, so ya bezt be on your way," He flicked his head at Indigo, still not breaking eye contact with Azure, "And take that character with ya, we have no further need of him today."

The umbreon flicked his tail, assembling the other umbreon's behind him, and marched to the other end of the field.

Azure just licked a paw in nonchalance, before calmly turning to Indigo and mewing, "Let's go and get you cleaned up." Before leading him up the steps to Coral, letting him lean on her for support.

"General Cardinal isn't really that bad," Indigo meowed, trying to lighten the mood, "He just gets really annoyed when his training sessions are interrupted."

Azure just grunted, and they walked over the final step to join Coral, who looked relieved.

"Oh, thank goodness he knew protect!" She exclaimed, her yellow rings glowing happily, before losing her glow, ears drooping, and mumbling, "The last thirty didn't."

Azure nodded, too tired from scaling the steps to have another outburst, and Indigo introduced himself, waving his tail at the umbreon, "Hi, I'm Indigo!"

"I'm Coral, Azure's chambermaid." Coral replied shyly, ears layed down, her black fur fluffing up a bit.

Indigo nudged Azure, before saying, "Chambermaid, eh? Watch out, Azure might just get ya if you do something wrong!" He jested, and the three laughed.

"Hey Indigo," Azure asked, "You've probably seen more of the castle than me. Do you know anywhere that we can hang out?"

He smiled a half smile, flicking his tail, "In fact, I do."


	7. Chapter 7

Stygian stalked down the hallway, regretting even taking that snotty vaporeon to one of his favorite places. Why should he even care? It's not as if he liked her or even knew her, he was just following orders. Orders that he _loathed_.

Stygian growled, and continued to storm his way down the hall. He was going to rip apart his pillow for this.

He charged through his door and into his room. Well, calling it a room would be generous, it was more like a medium-sized closet with gray, monotone colors and a cot with thin bed sheets. Cimmerian had given Stygian a hard, cold upbringing. Pleasantries were only to be enjoyed if you had earned them.

_Stupid_ _arrogant princess_ _and her stupid attitude!_

He crouched down low, swishing his tail back and forth, red eyes pivoted on the bland gray pillow. Stygian snarled and leaped, his claws digging in to the fabric, ripping open the case and spilling feathers across the cot. He hissed and bit down on the pillow, kicking his back legs swiftly against it and gnashing at it with his teeth. Soon, all that was left of it was ribbons and feathers.

Stygian growled and spat out the feathers in his mouth. "That's what you get!" He growled.

"Angry, are we?" A deep voice rumbled. Stygian whirled around to face the door. His father stood there, yellow eyes glowing with malice. "How about you use that anger for something, _profitable_." He paused and stretched out the last word, causing a sense of foreboding to crash down upon the younger umbreon.

He wanted to decline, say that he would have no part in whatever dastardly plan that Cimmerian was plotting. The current one was taxing enough.

He almost did just that, but then Stygian quickly averted his eyes, one must never make eye contact with the King, even if he was your father. He quickly shook off the feathers that clung to his pelt and nodded stonily.

"Come," Cimmerian barked, flicking his black tail.

Stygian obeyed, and walked five tail-lengths behind his father, as was the custom.

Cimmerian led Stygian down the maze if hallways and into the TM chamber. The King then addressed the general. "Sanguine, we are going on a raid. Gather your troops."

The dark general bowed and nodded, his glowing eyes the deep red-orange color of rust, before he howled, summoning the soldiers to his position.

"Go to the gate," Cimmerian ordered, "We will arrive when the raiding party is ready."

The general once again nodded, before bowing as the King left the room.

Cimmerian silently traversed the corridors, his ebony jaw set and his blue rings blazing, sending washes of color across the large, obsidian hallways.

A feeling of deep premonition settled itself on Stygian, and his yellow rings pulsed uneasily, sending rays of color to intercept the blue light. Other than that, Stygian was a statue of indifference. He had learned that emotions got you into more trouble than they were worth, and thus should be done away with whenever possible.

Cimmerian, noticing the interlacing lights, shot Stygian a jagged, fang-lined smile, and led his son down the last hallway and out into the courtyard. They ascended several steps unto a platform, and Stygian looked out upon the gathering of umbreons below.

Dozens of platoons stood side by side, their dark pelts bristling and their yellow rings glowing in the dim light. Hundreds of pairs of red eyes fixated themselves on Stygian, as there was no rule against staring at the prince, at least not yet.

Stygian stood tall and curled his lip, fluffing out his fur so that he looked even bigger. He towered over them, still and imposing,while his father yowled.

"Today, we shall crush our enemies! We shall kill every last pokemon, egg, and hatchling! We will take their crops, their money, their home! Their blood will run red at our paws! And We. Will. Be. Victorious!"

The crowd cheered, a writhing mass of black fur and bright rings, while Cimmerian stood above, his jaw slavering and his pupils slits. The King's claws were out, scratching the surface of the platform, and he seethed with rage and excitement.

The soldiers began stomping their feet in rhythm. _Boom Boom Boom Boom_. And they turned as they did so, now facing the gate.

Cimmerian chuckled darkly and said, "You are to lead them." He flicked his ear for Stygian to follow and loped off the pedestal and around the crowd 'til he arrived at the front. The younger umbreon followed close behind, his mind racing and his gait long, until he stood beside his father. They both released a long, low, frightening howl before taking off through the gates.

The soldiers followed close behind, running together as a living river.

As they ran, Stygian felt exhilarated. The feel of the wind in his fur and the sound of pounding paws calmed him, and he entered a sort of trance-zone. There was only him, the wind, and the sound of paws. Colors flew by in a blur of greens and browns, and his whole focus seemed to shift. All that there was, was the road ahead of him. All that he needed was the thrill of the journey. And soon, Stygian overtook his father and raced forward, kicking up dust in his wake.

He sprinted as far and fast as he could and almost ran right off the steep edge of a hill, but was able to stop himself just in time. Panting, he turned to look back at the soldiers.

He would be punished for this, he knew, you could only stand next to the King if you were both equally leading the troops. To pass the King was to invite death into your room.

Stygian waited, catching his breath, for the crowd and his father to catch up. He then whimpered and groveled as Cimmerian approached.

The shiny umbreon King towered above the prince and opened his mouth to say something, and Stygian feared the worst. "Looks like someone is eager to cut some throats," Cimmerian barked, "Get up! Since you are so intent on killing, you will lead the charge down there! I will wait here and supervise your raid."

Stygian obeyed, rising to his feet, and looked down. Below the hill stood a quaint little town. The houses were made of wood, and eevees played in the streets. Espeons scuttled about, going through their daily motions, unaware of the terror that would befall them.

Styian swallowed, his mouth feeling dry, and growled for show. He unsheathed his claws and raced down the hill, the raiding party following close behind.

They howled menacingly as they crashed down upon the village, and the espeons panicked, some freezing in place and others running for their lives. Giga Impacts rained down from above, squashing the pink eeveelutions. Shadow Balls were flying to and fro, slamming into whatever they could. Hidden Powers were flung at every single espeon and eevee, and soldiers entered the homes to destroy the eggs.

Wails and cries echoed from every corner of the village, espeons weeped over their dead loved ones, orphaned eevees stumbled around, searching for their parents, and the umbreon soldiers just kept on killing.

Stygian stood there, taking it all in, unaware of any danger to himself until a resident Flareon shot a flamethrower at him, and the prince was caught of guard, slamming into a house and setting it on fire. He snarled and leaped at the Flareon, charging up his Hyperbeam. He landed on the fluffy orange pokemon, ripping at it with his claws, his mouth agape with white light, and let the powerful move rip. A bright flash momentarily blinded Stygian, and when he opened his eyes, the charred bones of the Flareon were all that was left.

A soldier to his left tackled a young eevee, rearing his head for the killing blow, but the umbreon was suddenly tackled away and to the ground by an enraged espeon using Retaliate. Another soldier pounced on the, now freed, eevee, and a loud wail erupted from inside the burning building.

Stygian whirled around and charged into the house, two soldiers following suit.

Inside, the fire raged across the walls. Black plants fell down from up above, scattering dark ashes. Thick smoke swirled around inside, it's gray cloud obscuring the fine details of the home. It didn't stop him, however, from spotting the shuddering forms in the, mostly intact, back left corner.

A young female espeon, probably only a little bit younger than Stygian, stood in front of two eevees The charred bodies of two older espeons, probably their parents, lay in front of the three. Tears streaked down the two eevee's faces, and there were tear tracks on the espeon's face as well, but her expression was one of undeniable hate.

Stygian growled and flexed his claws, and the two soldiers behind him powered up their Shadow Balls.

"No," Stygian barked, "Leave me! These three are mine!" He licked his lips and snarled, crouching low.

The soldiers nodded and obeyed, excitement reflecting in their red eyes as they left the smoking building.

It would be so easy to kill them. First he would take out the espeon, probably by lunging at her neck and snapping the delicate bones. He would the turn to the eevees. No need to waste valuable energy for moves on them, he could just rip them to pieces.

Stygian shook his head and turned to look at the door. When he was sure that the soldiers were far away, Stygian began to use Dig. He swiftly dug down and sideways until he was sure that he was far away from the village. He then created a cave and dug a small hole to the surface for air. He raced back through the tunnel and emerged, covered in dirt and soot, through the opening.

"Go," He ordered, gesturing to the hole, "Stay in the cavern for three days. Collapse the tunnel behind you. Tell no one of this."

The espeon didn't object, she just nodded and ushered the eevees into the hole. Before following, she turned her purple eyes to Stygian and whispered, "Thank you." She then jumped in and a few seconds later, the tunnel crashed down, sending a dirt cloud up into Stygian's face.

He quickly covered the hollow where the hole was with dirt and rolled in some ashes. He then exited the building and looked down. He had blood on his paws, but it was not the blood of the espeon and the eevees, it was the blood of the Flareon.

Stygian growled and turned around to look at the burning house. He ripped a board from the side and lit it on fire, before running around and setting the whole village alight.

Smoke and ash raised into the air, blotting out the murky clouds and extinguishing what little light the sun gave them. The fires raged and licked at the sky, their flames hungry for the dry wood of the village.

More screams and caterwauls burst from the houses, and Stygian let a single tear fall, before wiping it off with a paw. He heard the yowls of the soldiers as they killed the stragglers, and then the howl of his father, summoning the prince to the hill.

Stygian wearily began his climb, and was soon sitting by his father's side.

"Well done, son," Cimmerian barked, "Very well done for your first raid." He cackled as they watched the village go up in flames, a bright blot against the dark sky.

* * *

**Ah, the exhilarating scene of a battle. I had fun writing this one, and it completes a Saberclan challenge! ****So, did yall like this look into Stygian's mind? And why do you think he saved those three and then decided to set the village on fire?**


	8. Chapter 8

Azure followed the long blue tail of her friend, relieved that he had survived his near-death experience. The thought of losing Indigo had made her heart clench with fear, and she knew that she would have battled every last one of those odious umbreons to the death if they had struck him down and ended his life.

For now, though, her anger had faded with the soft, familiar reassurance of friendship. The purple-eyed vaporeon was especially ecstatic that Coral, the shy little chambermaid, had joined them, instead of running off at the first chance she got.

The umbreon had been nervous at first, padding cautiously off to the side and quietly watching the two old friends with little or no comment. Then, she began to add in a few words here and there and reply more often, smiling just a little bit. Eventually, the small black pokemon became thoroughly engrossed in the conversation, and she opened up, smiling, laughing, and chatting easily with the two water types.

"Really," Coral asked in her soft-spoken, sing-song voice, "The Vaporeon Castle has a whole hall dedicated to cabbages?"

Azure stifled a laugh as Indigo easily replied, "Yes, and they smell so bad that everyone in the castle buys special muzzle plugs to block out their stench!"

Coral's ruby eyes widened in surprise and awe. "Wow," She whispered.

"Oh, don't listen to him." Azure head-butted the umbreon playfully. "He's a little purrloin!"

"Oh," Coral replied quietly, looking a bit crestfallen, but then brightening up. "Oh! I get it now!" She giggled, her yellow rings glowing brightly as she did a little bounce.

Indigo gave her a half smile and flicked his long tail, his green eyes laughing. He continued leading them around the outside of the castle compound, pointing out various interesting spectacles worth noting - the bakery, the castle courtyard, the entrance to the barracks, the racing track. He led them past all of these things and more until they came to a path lined with trees and other foliage.

"This," Indigo gestured proudly and widely with his forepaw, "Is the castle garden."

Azure gasped at the utter beauty of this haven, the one comforting sight besides her friend. The trees stretched fairly high in the sky, but not enough to be enormous. If she wanted to, Azure could stand on her hind legs and almost reach the lowest branch. Small shrubs and bushes dotted the floor, seemingly plain but full of vibrant color.

The soft rustle of leaves was the only sound that emerged from the small forest. Azure guessed that no one was home. It began to seem a bit eerie, the still quiet of the land.

"Are you sure we're allowed to be here?" She asked Indigo tentatively.

"Sure! Why not," he replied heartily, "No one seemed to say that pokemon weren't allowed here, they just said that nobody over came 'round this part of the castle." He lifted a paw to his muzzle and whispered sideways, "They seem to thing it'll make them go soft." He chuckled, thumping his tail on the ground.

Surprising Azure, Coral, jumping into the air, exclaimed, "Let's go then!"

Indigo didn't need to be told twice. He raced off along the sheltered path, kicking up dirt in his wake. Coral followed closely behind, letting out a laugh of joy. Azure brought up the rear, whooping with pleasure.

The smells of the tree sap spun around them, and the falling of the orange Fade-Sky leaves had only just begun, with only a few leaves bursting behind them as they galloped. Their paws pounded hard on the grass-covered earth, and Azure relished the feeling of soil between her paw pads and the swift current of air running through her fluffy blue fur.

They ran and ran, twisting and turning through the trees, until suddenly, Coral stopped ahead of her. The vaporeon ran right into her friend and was knocked backwards by the force of the impact.

"Oops! Sorry!" She apologized. "What's going on?"

"Indigo's found something," Coral replied, her rosy eyes bright. She swished her fluffy tail excitedly As they waited for the male vaporeon to emerge from the dense undergrowth ahead.

The smiling face of their friend appeared from the bushes. He meowed, "Hey, guys! You have to come see this!" Before disappearing again.

The two female pokemon quickly bounced forward and into the thick hedge, battling their way through the undergrowth. They exited on the other side with a few scratches and scrapes, but they were virtually unharmed.

The two gasped at the sight before them.

Beautiful rose bushes dotted the circular walls of the hedge, spaced out evenly between each other. Lilies dotted the ground, sprouting from the earth in colors of white, orange, and yellow. The tree branches intertwined above them, blocking out all the light. They wouldn't have been able to see had it not been for the beautiful orbs of light strung from their boughs. But the most magnificent sight was the sunning, dark pool in the center of the glade.

Azure stood in awe at the breathtaking sight, and she heard Coral whisper, "Wow.."

Indigo wasted no time, and exuberantly plunged into the pool. Azure followed his lead, jumping in and causing a great splash that cut through the still silence. The cool water soothed her scratches and relaxed her muscles, causing the queen to sigh in contentment.

Coral padded slowly up to the water and dipped her black paw in, before swiftly retracting her appendage and shaking it.

Indigo surfaced and gave her a confused look. "What's the matter?"

"I-I," The umbreon stammered shyly, looking down and running her paw across the ground, "I don't know how to swim." She whispered.

Indigo smiled mischievously, his jade eyes glinting. "Then I'll teach you."

He submerged below the water, disappearing into its depths. Azure could feel his presence, could pinpoint his position from the ripples and currents he created. Her dark-furred friend, however, could not, so when he didn't emerge for several minutes, Coral looked around anxiously, starting to hyperventilate.

Suddenly, with a loud splash, the vaporeon shot up from the water and caught his paws around Coral's neck, dragging her into and under the water.

She let out a loud squeal before being engulfed by the liquid. They appeared again a few eevee-lengths away, Coral gasping for breath and Indigo laughing hysterically.

"How _dare_ you," Coral yowled uncharacteristically, smacking a paw at Indigo, "You could've _killed_ me!"

"But I didn't." He flashed her a half smile before pushing her under again.

Her angry kicks and free flowing bubbles indicated she was having none of it, but Indigo just wouldn't let up. He was determined to teach her how to swim, so when Coral swiped at him again, spluttering and thrashing, he just ducked under the water, dissolving into it.

The umbreon flailed and began to sink, but then she miraculously righted herself and began pumping her legs in a paddle. "Hey, I'm doing it!" Coral exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

Azure smiled, knowing what Indigo was doing. In his water form, he was creating a current to move Coral's legs for her and keep her afloat at the same time. Azure, herself, had used this tactic to teach young eevees how to swim when she had had the free time.

Indigo appeared at Coral's side once again, and unbeknownst to her, she was still paddling. She looked over at him and was shocked. She hadn't seen him reform at her side, so she gaped, losing concentration, and began to waver in her paddling. She began to flail around yet again, creating massive waves in the pool, and her head started to sink below the surface.

Indigo quickly grabbed her scruff and hauled her head above water.

"Almost had it," He encouraged, "Just pump your legs. Like this," He offered, demonstrating the smooth glide of his hind paws and the quicker scoop of his forepaws.

Coral copied his demonstration, almost getting it. Azure noted that she leaned too heavily on her right paw, but the umbreon was otherwise doing well.

The lesson continued on for a bit, with Azure diving down into the water nearby or just letting herself float, breathing deeply in the flowery air. Everything was peaceful. The soft forest breeze, the swaying flowers, the swishing pool, the utter tranquility of it all.

Without warning, the branches of the hedge started to shudder, and Stygian exploded forth, his mouth foaming and his eyes crimson. Blood matted his claws and fur, and he howled menacingly.

"GET OUT!" The malicious beast yowled.

Coral froze in mid-paddle, and Indigo's eyes widened. Azure stiffened, her breath shortening as panic overtook her.

Stygian growled viciously, his long claws extending into the earth, stabbing it and shredding it to ribbons.

"GET OUT!" He bellowed, spittle flying from his serrated jaws, before he leaped forward and covered the distance between them in three bounds, plunging into the pool to sink his jaws into his prey.

The three did what any sensible pokemon would do, they ran.

The glade no longer seemed inviting. The water sucked at them, trying to pull them back in, the flowers snickered at them, the lights tried to swing and club them, the rose bushes reached out to snag at their pelts with razor-sharp thorns, and the hedge choked them as they tried to escape.

They erupted from the bushes, panting, and paused to rest, but then Stygian's jagged teeth bit down hard on Azure's tail fin, digging deep. The monsterous prince shook his catch ferociously, severing the muscle.

The pain was so intense that Azure's vision momentarily blacked out, before adrenaline and terror fueled her burst of strength to tear away. She felt the flesh rip painfully as she escaped.

Azure raced away as fast as she could, hearing the paws of her pursuer pound malevolently behind her, step for step. Indigo and Coral had fled, leaving behind a track of broken twigs and bushes. She was alone.

Azure ran and ran, sprinting hard, from her relentless attacker. It wasn't until she reached the edge of the forest that the pounding behind her stopped.

She turned around, violet eyes wide, heart drumming, tail aching, to see the empty forest.

_He was gone._

* * *

_**Hey peeples! Sorry for not updating in a while. Anyways... Please review what you though of the chapter! And why you thought certain pokemon did what they did.**_

_**COUGHCOUGHSTYGIANCOUGH**_


	9. Chapter 9

Azure, vision plagued by black spots conjured up by pain and exertion, tried her best to scan the forest area.

He had disappeared.

He'd just _jolting_ _disappeared_!

She growled and stomped her paw at the infernal unfairness of it all. She was _bleeding_, in horrible _agony_, her tail was practically _shredded_, and she wasn't able to scream in his _ugly face_!

"Uugggghhh!" She snarled, unsheathing her claws as another wave of almost unbearable pain rang up her spine.

A bush rattled, and a red glint quickly flashed. Azure had seen him, if only briefly, and that was enough for her.

She opened her mouth, viciously bared her teeth, and yowled, "YOU LITTLE-"

"Azure!"

She hotly whirled around, too angry to register the throb that burst in her tail, infuriated that someone had interrupted her wrath.

"Azure," the voice repeated, and the blue form of a Indigo ran out from behind a nearby pillar, "Thank Arceus you're safe!"

"Yeah," she spat, "safe and _ripped to pieces_!" He stopped, shocked, with a paw in the air. "Where were you!"

"I-"

"Save it for someone who cares," she cut off what he was about to say, turning her head to the side and raising her nose to the air.

Before he could react, the petite water type pokemon stalked off in what she hoped was the general direction of her chamber.

* * *

Stygian, watching from the shadows, saw the maid—Coral, was it?—approach the male vaporeon, who the prince had identified as Indigo, cautiously from out behind the same pillar, her tiny paws tiptoeing anxiously.

"Is-is she o-okay?" The timid umbreon asked, looking worriedly after the furious Azure.

"Azure'll be fine," he heard Indigo say, "She's just in one of her moods." The blue pokemon flashed a smile. "She'll come crawling back to us eventfully, mewing all kinds of apologies."

"Oh, okay. If you say so." Coral replied, still watching the queen walk away indignantly.

The two were then off; returning to their respective rooms, perhaps? Stygian didn't really care.

However, what he _did_ care about was how quickly they had shrugged off his appearance. An umbreon was supposed to strike _fear_ in the hearts of those he encounters, to always be dominant, always be superior.

Their easy return to normality irked him, enraged him even. How _dare_ they intrude on _his_ special place and then act as if nothing had happened! The urge to slash them into hunks of meat flared up even more within him, threatening to seep through his barriers once again and send him into another rage.

The struggle to hold back the flood of emotions was so overwhelming, it threatened to plunge Stygian into another fit of madness. _Save it. Store it. Conserve it for when you need it._ _Save it. Store it. Conserve it for when you need it. __Save it. Store it. Conserve it for when you need it. _He repeated the lessons on how to control anger that his father had drilled into him, but there was just _no way_ in the land of Mew that he could do this!

"RRRAAAAHHH!" He screeched, whirling upon a nearby tree and sinking his long, blood coated claws into the bark, scoring long gashes into its surface. Sap oozed from the wounds, coating his paws like blood.

He huffed crossly. Now he'd have to lick the stuff off, and that meant possibly consuming the blood on his claws as well. He sighed and got to work, savage fury momentarily forgotten, and as he licked and groomed, his anger slowly melted away, replaced by a willingness to finish the job correctly.

Just when he was almost finished, a sticky film lightly coated over his claws the only residue left, his tongue struck true, and a metallic, salty taste assaulted his taste buds. He spat, fur bristled, repulsed by the abhorring flavor. He even licked some of the sap off of the tree to try and dispel the odious taste, but the aftertaste hung its heavy weight upon his tongue, opening his mind to its gruesome identity.

_Blood_.

He knew where it had come from, and it wasn't from one who had opposed, hurt, or threatened him. It had come from someone who had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But that was _his_ place! His mind and experience countered. They had _no right_ to intrude upon his personal hideaway! He was defending his land! What he had done wasn't wrong! It was exactly what he had been taught was right!

But if it was right, then why did it feel so wrong?

* * *

After storming off and stomping around to look for her room, the process being fruitless, Azure realized that she was lost. She groaned in exhaustion. How was she supposed to get _anywhere_ in this black maze?!

Fuming, the vaporeon decided that one direction was as good as any other, and she grudgingly set off to retrace her steps, still pounding her paws into the unyielding, marble ground.

"OW!" she yowled as her left forepaw slammed down unto something sharp, sending even more pain cascading through her body. She gingerly lifted the paw to get a look at it, sending blood dripping down unto the floor below.

"Oh, that's just jolting great!" She grumbled at the sight of a piece of glass firmly wedged into her pad. The violet-eyed pokemon tried to grasp its end to pull with her teeth, but her canines harmlessly glanced off of it, unable to get a grip on the smooth material. The vaporeon sighed and resigned herself to the pain, limping off back towards the forest with the injured paw raised in the air, tucked tightly to her chest.

Each step hurt, and with every burst of discomfort, her anger and resentment grew. _Why if I ever see that piece of pidove splatter again, I'll rip his throat out_! Azure thought furiously to herself, flexing the claws of her good paw as the trees of the little forest came within several dratini-lengths.

"Need a little help?" A snide voice asked.

Azure whirled around to see the tall, dark form of Sygian, his expression and crimson eyes inscrutable.

"Well, speak of the devil," she snapped, leaning back on her haunches to balance herself so that she could get a good swipe at him. His eyes flashed, and she flung her paw out towards his neck.

The blow never connected.

The umbreon had swiftly raised a foreleg, blocking her attack with ease. His nostrils flared, and he bared his teeth.

"What do you think you're doing?" He snarled, eyes aflame.

"What do you think, slowpoke?!" She countered, curling her lip and growling.

She opened her maw in a watery screech just as the dark prince raised a paw to strike her, and the dead-on hydro-pump hit him straight in the chest, sending the umbreon flying into a nearby pillar. His body struck the obsidian with a crack, and he slid down its surface to slump on the floor.

Azure smirked, pleased at how powerfully her move had hit. The pillar probably added to the damage.

She limped over to his soaked form, mouth poised to gloat, but she stopped. He was just laying there: helpless, crumpled, leg askew in a way it was never meant to be. _She_ had done that to him. And she was about to just rub it in his face. Azure backed away, head shaking. How could she even think about hurting him more? How could she have stooped so low as to be like _them_? There was only one way to fix this.

The vaporeon bent down and grabbed him by the scruff, fastening her teeth into his thick black fur. She started to drag him towards the door that was behind the spire of onyx, hoping beyond hope that there was someone nearby.

She was already weak, had already lost a lot of blood, and could only use three legs. She was barely able to drag the large Stygian up to the door and nudge it open.

A finicky looking umbreon servant started as the queen thrust her head into the room. Her vision was already blacking up again, and she was barely able to gasp out a few words to the dark type pokemon.

"Stygian... hurt... need... help..."

Then, the world went black.

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry for not updating in forever. I was busy &amp; stuff. :P Anyways, I hope you like this new chapter! And please review what you think about it or what I could improve on!**


	10. Chapter 10

Azure awoke to see the blasé face of a Gothitelle hanging over her as she lay on her back. It's red lips were pursed, and it's blue eyes were narrowed in concentration. It raised two purple hands and pressed them to the vaporeon's chest.

A sparkling aura wave the color of the rising sun washed over the blue pokemon, and she instantly felt better. All of her scratches and scrapes disappeared, not even leaving a scratch. The piece of glass imbedded in her paw slid out, and the pad healed as it exited. The only token of her encounter was her tail, for it had scoring bite scars that ran down her mermaid-like fin.

Azure lifted the rudder-like appendage to examine it. The scars didn't look that bad. They actually looked pretty cool. If one examined the new marks the right way, the lighter blue scars actually looked like stripes. But she couldn't help wondering if her tail would ever fully heal.

"It won't." The gothitelle answered her question as if reading her mind. "And yes, I can read your mind," it said again, rolling its eyes as if saying 'duh.'

"Oh..." the water type mewed, trailing off.

A strangled, gurgling cry sounded from somewhere nearby, and the gothitelle sighed in annoyance. Azure whipped her head around, ear fins pricked, to see Stygian writhing on a cot nearby.

The white bow-covered pokemon stood over the prince and closed its eyes. After touching a hand to its head, it laid the appendage on the umbreon's muzzle. Blue Zs surrounded his head, and Stygian instantly stopped moving.

Azure cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What did you do," she asked.

"I used Rest on him," the gothitelle answered, moving away and grabbing a Lum Berry before Azure could ask how it could do that, seeing as Rest was a move used on oneself. "Eat," it ordered, shoving the berry into the violet-eyed pokemon's paws.

She did as she was told, and then the gothitelle placed a palm to her head.

Azure's world faded as she fell into the blackness of sleep.

* * *

When the vaporeon woke up again, all was quiet. She took this as a chance to get a look around.

Stygian was still asleep on his cot, the white sheets pulled over his slumbering form. His leg appeared to be in a cast, but Azure couldn't really tell with the sheet in the way.

The room they were in was big, white, and empty. Dozens of cots lined the walls and filed down the room in rows, set up in even-spaced proportions. The floor was cold marble, and the ceiling was clouded with gray. It seemed as if the umbreons of this kingdom just loved their murky sky so much, they had to bring it inside with them.

Azure scented the air out of curiosity. The smell of many berries and herbs flooded over her senses, and she sighed in contentment. She loved the scent of berries. It reminded her of home and drew her back to a foggy memory of her mother feeding her berries when she was just a hatchling.

"Remembering something?" A snide voice cut into her thoughts, and Azure turned to see that Stygian was propped up on his forelegs, his tail end laying on the cot.

She snorted and turned her back to him. "As if you would care."

The vaporeon was pleased to hear a low growl sound in his throat. She cracked a sly smile and prepared a nastier retort, but when she turned around, the umbreon looked as if he was in pain. He tried to force out some syllables, but the words seemed to stick in his throat. His mouth hung open like a magicarp's.

"What is it," she asked.

Stygian closed his mouth and eyes as if preparing himself before he choked out, "I-I-" He paused, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry."

"Wait, what?" Azure blanched, taken off guard.

The pokemon's eye's flew open. He fixed his burning red gaze on her and growled, "You heard me. I won't say it again."

He laid his head down, closed his eyes, and said no more.

_What in the name of mew!?_ Azure thought.

This was just plain odd. Every experience prior to this said that Stygian was a cruel, vicious murderer that was not to be trusted—with anything. But, his apology—though, choppy and dumb-sounding—had seemed real, sincere. It almost changed Azure's mind, but she would not be easily dissuaded. His offering of remorse could just as simply be a ploy to get her to trust him.

She decided that sleep would really be the only way to solve this problem. She was too tired to try and think it out, and just thinking staying up all alone in this empty room made her queasy. Azure was tiring of bland, one-colored scenery. Plus, the stark whiteness of the room was making her eyes hurt.

The vaporeon laid her head down and embraced slumber once again.

* * *

Sytygian wondered why he had done it. Apologizing was against everything he had been taught. _Ever_.

But...though it was the wrong thing, it felt so _right_. It was the exact opposite feeling he had felt than when he had raided the village. But when he was doing that, it was the right thing. Right?

The Umbreon sighed, caught up in his mental struggle. It seemed as if everything he did had a contradiction. Instinct versus gut feelings. Life lessons versus gut feelings. Father's wrath versus gut feelings. The latter of each battle was outnumbered three-to-one. Choosing it would not be the logical choice.

But what _was_ a logical choice anymore?

Saving the eevee's and espeon hadn't been a logical choice. Attacking Azure and her group hadn't been a logical choice. Taking the vaporeon to one of his favorite places hadn't been a logical choice. But he had still made them all the same.

Stygian growled in frustration and rolled over, bumping his casted leg painfully, but he did note make a sound of distress. Umbreon's were never to show their weakness.

He resolved to just ignore his new emotions. They would only get in the way of things.

_Why, if my father heard about this, _the dark type thought, _he would skewer me on an icicle and watch me die a slow, painful death._

And the sad thing was, Stygian wasn't joking to himself. Cimmerian would declare his son a failure and do just that.

The prince covered his wolfish muzzle with his paws, snarling into them. His white canines bared menacingly as his dark lips curled back, but there was no one there to see them, and besides, his paws covered the teeth anyways.

Stygian stopped snarling for a moment and contemplated the absurdness of his situation. The soon-to-be King of the Umbreaon Kingdom was laying in a cot and fighting with himself over how to act. The thought of it was just plain comical! He even chuckled a bit at himself. The answer was so _simple_; it would be just plain idiotic to even reconsider.

_These new feelings must be ignored._

They were signs of weakness, and _true_ umbreon's are never _weak_.

_Tomorrow,_ Stygian thought, _everything will be back to normal._ He shot Azure's slumbering form a distasteful sideways look. _Well,_ almost_ normal._

* * *

**Hey guys, sorry again for the long wait. I've had a lot of trouble writing lately. I also apologize for the boringness, but the fact that Stygian actually apologized to Azure is a Christmas miracle! Yeah, I know, a little late for that, but I had originally planned to release this on Christmas. It's also a little short, and that's because I just couldn't think of anything more to add. Again, I am sooooo sorry for the long wait and short, boring chapter. I hope this filler was okay though.**


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